Braided Bread

Note: The sesame seeds are optional. I like the flavor, but the braid design is a little more obvious without them. You can still see the multiple strands when you're up close and slicing the bread, but the far view isn't as dramatic.

Chances are that you won't have a precise rectangle of dough when you roll it out, and that's perfectly fine. When you're done braiding, you'll be trimming the end, anyway, to even up that end.

You can use any leftover pieces to make a roll or two to sample the bread without cutting into the pretty finished loaf.

About the author: Donna Currie has been cooking for fun and writing for pay since the days when typewritten articles traveled by snail mail. When she combined those talents in a food column for a newspaper in her area, she realized that writing about food is almost as much fun as eating. You can find her on her blog, Cookistry or follow her on Twitter at @dbcurrie.

Procedures

1

Combine the water, yeast, honey, flours, potato flakes, and dry milk in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Knead until the mixture is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Add salt and olive oil and continue kneading until the salt and oil are incorporated and the dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic, about 10 minutes longer. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until doubled in size, about an hour.

2

Flour your work surface and turn out the dough. Form it into a rough rectangle, then use a rolling pin to roll it out into an approximate 14- by 18-inch rectangle. Using a pastry cutter, pizza cutter, or sharp knife, cut into thirds, lengthwise, then cut each of those 3 pieces into six 18-inch-long strips. Gather each group of six strands together loosely and pinch one end of each group together. Make a braid, treating each group of six as if it's one strand. Keep the strands loose and try not to stretch the dough. When you get to the far end of the braid, trim off any long pieces, pinch the ends together, and tuck it under. Tuck the other end of the dough under as well,

3

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, adjust oven rack to center position, and preheat oven to 350°F Transfer braid to backing sheet, straighten it, and make it as even as possible. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.

4

When dough has doubled, remove the plastic wrap and brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the bread at 350°F until it is nicely browned, about 25 minutes. Let the loaf cool completely on a rack until completely cool.

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